A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY

Home
 
Orthodox News

• Last Week's Edition

• Archives

• Search Engine

Submissions

• Policy

• Send

Email us

Support Us!

• Donations

Nonprofit Ministries

The Orthodox Christian Laity

• OCN Website

• The Video -  "A New Era Begins"

The Orthodox Christian News Service

Published by Stetson University Russia Religion News, August 18, 2004

Resolution of church seizure nears

DIRECTOR OF GRABAR CENTER THANKS PARISH OF KADASHI CHURCH FOR HELP

(Sedmitza.ru, 18 August 2004) - The Grabar All-Russian Artistic Scientific Restoration Center (VKhNRTs) has finally received premises to which it will be able, in time, to move not only its subdivisions occupying the church of the Resurrection in Kadashi but also departments located in premises of the Martha-Mary convent and the church of the Holy Martyr Catherine in Vspol. This was reported by VKhNRTs director Aleksei Vladimirov. He displayed an order of the Federal Agency for Federal Property (formerly the Ministry of Property) of 13 August by which a former factory shop of 6,000 square meters on Radio Street will be transferred to the "operative administration" of VKhNRTs.

According to Aleksei Vladimirov, a minimum of three months will be required in order to make small preliminary repairs and to take necessary measures for checking communications and heating. Then it will be possible to move to the new premises several restoration departments. Of course, the first to go to Radio Street will be the department of ancient sculpture which occupies the "high" church in Kadashi. "Thus by the beginning of the new year believers will be able to have at their disposal the high church and the belfry and moreover they will have a separate entrance. And gradually we will move everything out of Kadashi," the director of VKhNRTs said.

Regarding the conflict with the parishioners of the church of the Resurrection, who on 2 August sealed the premises where the restoration studios are located and closed off access to the grounds, Aleksei Vladimirov said: "To a certain degree we are thankful to them. Since 1991 we have written letters to Moscow city hall and to the government and we asked to be resettled from the churches."

Meanwhile it has been discovered that representatives of the parish do not know anything about the assignment of premises to the restorers. Attorney Vladimir Solomatin  enumerated what law suits will be filed against the "Grabarites" and he spoke about  how the Ministry of Culture still only intends to create a special commission for resolving the conflict. To a question about whether parishioners intend to act in accordance with a letter of their attorney Mikhail Voronin (we recall that he officially promised to declare the property of VKhNRTs in two weeks as unowned and to begin its removal if the restorers themselves do not clear out of the church), Vladimir Solomatin responded: "We are patient people and are prepared to wait longer, but I don't know just how long." And an associate of the parish museum "Kadashi settlement," Lidia Shestakova, responded to a question about removal: "We do not have any such thoughts. Many parishioners of Fr Alexander are professionally affiliated with museum treasures and we understand that it is impossible 'independently' to remove anything," "Blagovest-info" reports. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 August 2004)
 

Home • Archives • Search • Submissions • Support Us

This Online Newsletter is partially funded by a grant from the Virginia H Farah Foundation

Orthodox News, PO BOX 6954
WEST PALM BEACH FL  33405-6954
USA

Phone:  (517) 522-3656
Fax:  (517) 522-5907